Transatlanticism
by Sentimental Ideals
Summary: Life is not fair. It hasn't ever been, it won't ever be. It's less fair to some people than others. That's just the way things are. This story contains somewhat-detailed gore and violence.
1. Prologue 1: Bad News

**Hello, everybody! I am a new FanFiction author, and I wanted to try and catalogue my experience's playing Pokemon Platinum. This is my first story, so if you have constructive criticism please share it with me, as it can only make me a better writer. Anyway's, enjoy! **

The boy flopped back on his bed, folding arms that were just slightly too thin behind his head, staring at the dimpled white of the ceiling and enjoying the warmth of the late afternoon sun as it streamed through the window. There was noise downstairs yet, muffled sobs and cries, but he did his best to tune it out, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, listening to the chirping of a Starly in the tree outside his window.

He fell asleep to the gentle background hum of birdsong.

When he woke, it was dark, he was covered in his ratty old knit blanket, and his mother was sitting in the armchair next to his bed, head propped against the backrest, fast asleep.

There were tear tracks on her face.

He gazed at her, and was momentarily confused – but then he remembered, _the phone call_, sighed silently and wormed carefully out of bed, gathering the blanket as he went. He landed lightly on the balls of his bare feet, crept softly over to the chair and tucked the blanket securely around the sleeping woman, then retrieved his sneakers and socks from the corner where he'd kicked them, and slipped out of his room, down the stairs, and out the front door.

He paused briefly on the steps to put on his shoes, then again at the pebbly stretch of pond-bank near his house to gather some gravel, before he trotted off towards the house where the only other boy his age in Twinleaf lived. He weighed his options, then shrugged, and proceeded to fling the entire handful of rocks at the only upstairs window with a light behind it. It made a horrible clattering noise, and the teenager flinched, then poised himself to bolt as he heard a window slam open - the last thing he needed was someone calling his mother right now!

"'Frey?" It was half called, half hissed, but he recognized the voice of his best friend and relaxed, turning back to the house.

"Yeah, Gav', it's me. Come down, would you?" The young man stuffed his hands in his pockets, toeing at a clump of grass.

The other teenager regarded him with concern - that was not his friend's normal tone of voice at all - but the window shut, the light dimmed, and a minute and a half later, the back door opened, disgorging a rumpled blond youth in khaki shorts and an old grey t-shirt, who waved his friend over with one hand while stifling a yawn with the other.

"Over here, 'Frey." The blond shut the door softly, then plopped down on the stoop, patting the spot to his right invitingly. As soon as the other had seated himself, he plastered a drowsy grin on his face, then punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Now, Godfrey, what's so damn important that you had to pry me outta bed at ass-o'-clock at night the day before we're supposed to go see Professor Rowan, huh?"

The dark haired boy, Godfrey, shook his head and murmured, "I needed to talk with you, Gav'." He turned to his friend, who instantly flinched, the grin evaporating as he took in how haggard he was. "Wh-what happened? What's the matter? You look like hell, man."

"I – we - we got a call." Godfrey faced forward, and lowered his gaze, digging his fingers into his knees until the knuckles whitened. "Gavin, it's..." He hesitated, fumbled for words, settled on something that wasn't precisely a lie. "...It's worse than they thought."

Gavin winced at the tone of that comment, then flung his arm across Godfrey's shoulders, forcing himself to smile. "Eh, doctors, the hell do they know anyway? We'll go see Professor Rowan tomorrow, he'll give us our Pokémon and I bet you anything he figures out what's wrong and fixes it, too. And makes it look easy."

Godfrey smiled shakily at their old running joke. "Yeah, and I bet he'll single-handedly bring world peace and save the starving baby Bidoofs while he's at it." He leaned back against the half-embrace and closed his eyes, heaving a deep sigh. "Just hope this doesn't affect things too badly."

"Nah, I bet you ten million that whatever-it-is just makes Rowan give you TWO." Gavin briefly wrapped both arms around him, squeezed affectionately, then pulled back and shook his friend lightly. "Now, can we maybe go back to bed? 'S hard enough trying to sleep just being all excited, without you bellyaching on top of it."

The dark-haired boy smiled, and if it was weak, it was at least genuine. "You go on. I'm gonna walk around for a bit, need to clear my head."

The blond's brows knitted in concern. "Sure you don't want me to come? I'm up now anyway, might be nice to wander around for a little while. We could go to the lake."

"Nah, Gav', go back to bed. I'd kinda like to be alone for a while." Godfrey pushed off the stoop, stood, and impulsively tousled his friend's scruffy blond hair. "See you in the morning, nerd. If you're late, I'm fining you ten million!"

Gavin grinned genuinely at that. "Okay, but if you're late, I'm fining you fifty million."

"Deal. Good night, and..." He hesitated momentarily, then lowered his head, looking his friend directly, and sincerely, in the eye. "Thank you. For everything."

"Welcome, 'frey." The blond yawned, stretched extravagantly, then scrambled ungracefully to his feet, scratching his left side absently. "Don't stay out too late, 'kay? You need your rest too, y'know."

"I know. I'll see you around."


	2. Prologue 2: To Sandgem

**Not into the story yet, guys. This is the second part of the prologue, then we will get into the rules and all that. Should I post the rules in the Author's Note at the beginning of the story, or should I leave it up to you guys to figure it out? **

The gentle grey light of predawn was Godfrey's first clue that he'd been out too late. He muffled something impolite in his scarf as he scrambled out of his little nook in the trees by the seashore and ran full-tilt for home – this was not at all a good start to what was supposed to be an auspicious day.

_I'm not only fried, I'm going to be late – fffffffffff-!_

He nearly slammed face-first into the police officer from Sandgem who handled Twinleaf as he burst through the front door. She yelped as he staggered and stomped on her foot, he yelped because she slapped him for doing so, and then his mother burst into the middle of things and sent them both crashing to the floor.

"Godfrey! Where did you _go_? I woke up in your room and you'd left, and after yesterday I thought – I was -" His mother broke off mid-sentence, in favor of swiping tears from her eyes with one hand as she hauled him to his feet and dusted him down with the other. "I was worried - where did you go? What happened? Are you all right?"

"This - oh. Er. I apologize, son, but your mother said... that is, I thought..." The policewoman scrambled awkwardly to her feet, looking distinctly sheepish. "I was just going to look for you." She ruffled her fingers through her short, black hair. "I really do apologize. Are you hurt?"

Godfrey stared blankly at her for just a moment, then shook his head. "I'm fine, thank you, ma'am. Mom, I'm sorry, I needed some air and some time to think - I went for a walk before you woke up. But I have to go get ready now, I'm meeting Gavin in about..." He glanced up at the clock and froze, then burst into motion, dashing for the stairs as he glibbered, "fiveminutesohArceusgottago!"

His mother and the policewoman looked at each other, and sighed.

"Well, he seems to have come to terms with that fairly easily..."

"Of course he did! It's very early on, so there's plenty of time to – to... to fix things, and when we do he'll be just fine. So, there's no point in worrying about it until then, right?" The woman clasped her hands together, eyes bright with something that could have been hope, though it was awfully watery.

The policewoman merely tipped her hat, expression carefully neutral. "Of course, ma'am. If I'm not needed here, though, I'll be on my way. Good day, ma'am, and good luck."

The door clicked softly shut, just as Godfrey came skinning down the stairs, hat on his head, scarf messily knotted around his neck, clothed in a fresh pair of black slacks and a neat white button down shirt, and clutching his satchel. "Okay mom I love you gotta go!" He burst past her, planting a messy kiss on her cheek as he ran, snatched his black blazer from the coat rack, yanked the door open and dashed out, nearly upsetting the uniformed officer in passing.

And he was gone.

His mother stood there for just a moment, then she shut and locked the door, went to the kitchen, put the kettle on the stove, and all but collapsed against the edge of the sink, swaying as she whispered, "Arceus above, have mercy on us, protect him, please,_please_..."

Godfrey, meanwhile, ran for the path through the trees that led to the road to Sandgem Town. "Oh Arceus, oh Arceus, oh Mew and Articuno and Moltres I am so late, he is going to kill me..." He burst through the underbrush, and nearly tumbled into the road.

The deserted road.

"...I almost feel cheated." He muttered, then set his bag down and began straightening himself out. He adjusted and buttoned his blazer neatly, then re-wrapped and knotted his scarf, flicking the tails of it over his shoulder. He was just picking the last of the burrs from his pant leg when he was bowled over by a familiar blond blur.

"Hey, 'Frey, good morning!" Gavin beamed down at him as he sat sprawled in the road, and offered a hand. "You're early, good!"

Godfrey snorted to disguise a laugh, then grinned back and grasped the offered appendage, allowing his friend to help him to his feet. "Yeah, yeah. I guess I was a little early, so you're lucky - no fine today. One of these days you won't be, though!"

The blond just grinned, dropped his bag, held his arms out, and did a little twirl. "Hey, it takes time to look this good! What d'ya think?"

Godfrey circled his friend once, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he took in the neatly fitted suit. "Never thought you'd look good in navy blue, I have to admit."

Gavin smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from the shoulder of his jacket and gathered up his rucksack. "Good thing Dad's old stuff fits me, eh? You ready, 'Frey?"

He smiled. "Born ready, Gav'. Let's go! Last one to Sandgem's a Slugma!" And with that, he took off, leaving a surprised and indignant Gavin to chase after him.

The two pounded down the road and into the town side by side, jostling each other roughly as they jockeyed for position - until Gavin tripped and stumbled into Godfrey. Together, they staggered back and forth, struggling to stay upright - failed miserably, and crashed down in a heap.

Conveniently outside Professor Rowan's lab.

The door immediately swung open, and bemused blue eyes regarded the pair. "What the heck are you two doing? You're going to be a mess for your photos!" The girl who'd answered the door immediately scampered outside to help them up.

"Er..." The two boys looked tremendously sheepish, scrambling to their feet and dusting themselves down. "We were racing-" Godfrey began, just as Gavin chimed in, "I tripped and-"

"- And made a fool of yourself, as usual. You two are going to give me a coronary one of these days, I swear!" The girl shook her head, the tiniest of smirks quirking her lips.

"Hey! We've been tied for months now, y'know!" Gavin piped up indignantly. "We gotta take every chance we get to break it! It's throwing us both off!" Under his breath, he added, "I mean, c'mon – I'm way faster than he is."

Godfrey just grinned. "So, Dawn, is the Professor ready for us?"

Dawn arched an eyebrow, then turned and motioned for them to follow her. "Well, yeah, if you think you're ready for him. C'mon, I'll let him know you're here." She went to the door and stood beside it, gesturing invitingly - and caught Godfrey's arm as he followed Gavin in, murmuring in his ear, "He knows. Stay out here with me while the professor's doing his thing for Gavin; he wanted to talk to you alone afterward."

He drew back, saw the serious light in her eyes, and simply nodded, murmuring in response, "Of course."

Dawn led him into the comfortable little study off the entrance hallway, and seated herself on the couch under the window, beckoning him over. "C'mere, sit down, we haven't talked properly in ages." She lowered her voice as he approached. "How are you holding up, are you okay?"

Godfrey's lips twitched in a macabre smile. "Oh, peachy. What the hell kind of question is that? Why are you bringing this up, Dawn?"

The young woman winced at his biting tone, shuffling back into the farthest corner of the couch from him, shifting a cushion into her lap and hugging it as she did. "I'm sorry, I... I found out this morning, I'm sorry, and... We're friends, y'know? Even if we don't see each other that often, I'm worried about you, that's all."

"Well, stop worrying." He plunked down next to her, and sighed, flopping back against the back of the couch, all his energy suddenly gone. "There's nothing anyone can do, anyway."

He was promptly smacked upside the head with the pillow. "OW! The hell -"

"Don't you dare say that!" Dawn hissed, eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "There are always other options! Don't you act like there's nothing left to be done, because there is and I won't ever forgive you if you give up now!"

Godfrey, dumbstruck, just shook his head, then leaned over and wrapped his arms around Dawn, letting her cry.

Letting her cry, and trying not to himself.

And that was how the professor found them.


	3. Chapter 1: First Pokemon

**On to the main story! The Prologue is over! Huzzah! **

Professor Rowan was an old man, and in his long and adventurous life he had seen and experienced many things. If asked, he would have called himself, perhaps, a bit jaded. He was not ordinarily a man strongly affected by emotion.

Yet, he still felt something in his chest ache as he watched Dawn sobbing helplessly into her friend's shoulder.

Shaking his head, the professor walked softly over to the two young people, leaning lightly on his cane. He rested a gentle hand on Dawn's back, and looked Godfrey directly in the eye. "We're ready for you now, young man."

The pair disentangled themselves quietly, and obediently followed the professor out of the study and down the hall towards the main lab.

The young man was infinitely confused when they took a right rather than a left, and wound up in a smaller sub-laboratory, rather than the large main one where the Professor usually gave out his Pokémon. This room was small and sterile-smelling, all white walls and gleaming terrazzo and stainless steel counter-tops, rather than luxuriant marble, rich carpets and smooth, cool limestone.

It reminded Godfrey entirely too much of his time at Veilstone General, and he could not suppress a shudder. He did manage to maintain enough composure that the professor did not notice his momentary slip - but Dawn did, and she gently moved up behind him, placing a hand lightly on his shoulder in reassurance and ignoring his startled flinch.

Rowan, meanwhile, was rummaging through a filing cabinet, flipping through papers and grumbling in annoyance. "Dawn! Where _is_ that folder? I compiled it just this morning!"

The young woman jumped, startled, and yanked her hand back as though she'd been burnt, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "Folder, professor? Ah... Oh!" She frowned. "I think you left it on your desk, sir."

Professor Rowan stared at her until she withered. "That is, um... I'll... I'll just go get that for you, shall I, sir?"

"That would be a wonderful idea, Dawn." He watched her go, then turned to the young man who still stood near the door, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Well, since we know where the paperwork is... I have something to discuss with you, Godfrey."

"What, er, sir?" The young man fidgeted anxiously with the lowest button of his coat as he stood.

"I'll be blunt, lad." Rowan leant heavily on his cane. "You... are not going to live as long as most trainers, I'm afraid." He held up a hand as Godfrey scowled. "Before you snap at me, please realize that this is completely relevant to everything that I have to say."

Intrigued, the youth subsided, watching the old man curiously. "Go on, sir."

"Right. As I said, your lifespan has been significantly reduced, and as such, I am sorry to say, I am not permitted to issue you a standard trainer's license."

"Wh-what? Why did you bring me all the way here just to tell me that?" Godfrey stuffed his hands in his coat pockets and glared at the nearest counter-top, avoiding Rowan's eyes completely.

The professor moved the cane from his right hand to his left, and tapped the end of it lightly on the ground. "There is an... alternative, if you will, provided you still wish to take the journey?"

The young man whirled, staring at the professor in shock. "You just said-"

"I said, son, that I cannot issue you a _standard_ trainer's license. This would, unfortunately, be a fairly severely limited one, but..." The professor left his sentence hanging, a carrot before the Ponyta's nose, and was not disappointed.

"Limited how, sir?" The young man's entire body was canted slightly forward, the very picture of cautiously hopeful anxiety.

It was at that moment that Dawn returned with the folder of papers, which she offered to the professor, who motioned to Godfrey to take them. "The relevant information is all in there, but in brief, you would be disallowed from training any Pokémon which seems likely to outlive you."

The young man took the folder and leafed quickly through it, before looking up. "In plain English, sir?"

"In plain English, Godfrey, you would be expected to only capture the sickly, weak, injured or deformed Pokémon you ran across." The professor tapped his cane lightly on the floor.

"...because they're going to be..." The young man frowned, looking distinctly contemplative.

"Yes. I know, and I agree that it is unfairly harsh." The professor drummed his fingers on the head of his cane as he continued. "You would still be permitted the services of the Pokémon center, PC system and store, of course, but you would be restricted as far as your choice of teammates might go. Also..." The old man hesitated, then. "As you would be capturing those Pokémon that would likely not survive for long, anyway, I think it best that you prepare yourself for the distinct possibility that any severe trauma might kill one of your team."

"I understand, but... Should I take you up on this, sir, what am I to do for my first? I'm sure you're not allowed to give me one of your traditional starters... should I just walk out into the forest and attempt to catch something?" Godfrey rubbed his chin thoughtfully, tucking the folder under his left arm as he did. "Because I think I could do that, though I'd much rather not..."

The professor smiled gently, and reached over to pat the young man on the back. "Actually, should you choose to accept, we have just the thing for you. Follow me."

This time, they only walked a short distance down the hall before they entered another room. This one was close and cozy, lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a makeshift cage taking up nearly the entire back wall. Rowan ushered Godfrey into the room, and over to the cage - and its occupant.

It was about the same size as a Starly, but significantly different in shape and color. It was black as the space between stars at night, with a beak like a golden dagger, legs that resembled nothing so much as tightly-coiled brass springs, and a crest that looked peculiarly like a witch's hat. It sat in the cage, glaring out at him and the professor, keeping up a peculiar chatter under its breath.

"This is Morgan." Professor Rowan, ignoring the bird's grousing, lightly patted the cage. "We found her out back, stealing the starters' food."

"Not to doubt your expert opinion, sir, but she doesn't look like she's dying to me." The young man curiously contemplated the avian. "What is she? And what's wrong with her?"

Dawn piped up, then, eager to show off. "She's a Murkrow! They're usually very rare around here, it's too cold for them. I wonder where she came from?"

Rowan nodded and interjected. "As for her handicap..." The professor raised his cane and tapped it on the bars - Morgan protested loudly at this, turning her back to the noise and ruffling her feathers indignantly.

Godfrey started at once, because the bird's left wing had obviously been badly mangled - the entire tip of it, from the third joint down, was completely missing.

"As you can see, Godfrey, this particular Murkrow has been pinioned." Professor Rowan folded his hands atop his cane and brought it down to the ground in front of him with a soft tapping noise. "It was evidently an injury, though we cannot be sure what did it."

"She... can't fly?" The young man frowned, touching the cage lightly - then yanking his hand back to avoid a stab from that razor-sharp beak.

"She'll never fly again, no." Rowan shrugged, and looked into the cage. "We were going to euthanize her, but we held off once we heard about your, ah, special circumstances. If you would like to accept the offer, she's yours."

"And... otherwise?"

"A quick, gentle death. Either way, she is better off, so please don't feel pressured."

Godfrey looked at the bird, and she met his gaze with eyes like rubies, defiant even through her fear.

"I'll do it. Where do I sign?"


	4. Chapter 2: First Battle

It took a matter of minutes to get everything in order - there were only four forms to sign and transmit to the League, and while the Professor was talking with the Ranger in charge of the licensing division over the videophone, Dawn was helping Godfrey program his first Poké Balls.

"You put your thumb here, on the button - see how it's translucent? There's a fingerprint scanner in there! Press once to unlock it, twice and hold 'til it beeps to lock it." The young woman was all smiles, her previous gloom forgotten at the sheer excitement her friend was radiating, as well as her joy at being able to show off a little bit.

"What happens then?" Godfrey turned the ball around in his hands, examining it from all sides.

"Once you've scanned your fingerprint into an empty ball for the first time, it'll be registered to you, and anything put in it will be microchipped with your personal trainer ID... well, once you have one, which will be any minute now." She beamed. "And then you can finally have Morgan properly! I'm so excited!" She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Truth be told, I was a little scared you'd refuse... she's very wild. I think the fact that we had to be so rough with her to catch her and treat her has really soured her on people."

Godfrey nodded slowly, digesting the little tidbit of information. "Will she attack me, or anyone I try to battle with her?"

Dawn sighed. "I'd like to say no, but we can't be entirely certain. I'm sure she won't do anyone any permanent harm, though. She's a very intelligent girl."

The young man smiled, patting his friend's hand reassuringly. "I'm sure she is. We'll make friends eventually."

It was then that his new trainer card came through, and for a little while the lab was a whirlwind of activity, as the new trainer was loaded down with potions and Poké Balls and pamphlets and packages of food for Morgan. When he got out the door, his satchel was stuffed full to bursting, and he was skimming a leaflet on how to befriend a newly-captured monster.

"'Frey!" He looked up from his leaflet just in time to be knocked over by his exuberant best friend, who tackled him and perched jauntily on his stomach. "Is everything okay? It must be because your bag is totally crammed so which one did you get, huh? Piplup? I know Dawn's been going on about Lily forever so you probably took that one, right?"

"First..." Godfrey wheezed with difficulty as he grabbed Gavin by the waist, "...get _off_ of me." He rolled slightly to his left and, with difficulty, tipped the blond boy off his midsection (it was only then that he noticed the tiny orange monkey clinging to his head, and even then, it was only because the little creature squealed in anger as he was nearly crushed). "Second, it's..." He sat up and hesitated, considering exactly how much he'd told Gavin and quickly fabricating a half-truth, then continued. "...the Professor asked me to do something for him."

"What, 'Frey?" Gavin sprang lightly to his feet, none the worse for wear, and hoisted his friend upright.

"Well, um..." Godfrey dusted his hands on his pants, flicked the edge of his blazer out of the way, and took his single occupied Poké Ball from the pocket of his slacks. "I'll show you."

He pressed the button. "Come on out, Morgan."

A beam of crimson light shot from the ball, struck the ground, then refracted upon itself and dimmed, leaving an eminently displeased Murkrow in its place.

Gavin gawped. "The hell is that? Apart from not a Piplup, I mean."

"She's a Murkrow, and she's the favor." Godfrey eyed the wary bird, who was half-crouching, wings half-spread and feathers fluffed, glaring from him to Gavin to Gavin's monkey and back. "Her name's Morgan; they found her injured out behind the lab and asked me to take her." He considered the Pokémon on Gavin's head, and changed the subject. "So, you picked the Chimchar, huh?"

The blond boy beamed, lightly caressing the monkey, who cooed and nosed his hand. "Yep! Goku and me are going all the way to the top together!

"...Goku, Gav', really?" Godfrey choked back a laugh with great difficulty, trying not to frighten Morgan, but the Murkrow still flared and hissed at the strange croaking noise he made.

"Oh, shut up, I maintain to this day that Dragon Ball was a pretty good show!" Gavin raised his chin, mock-haughtily, then looked at Morgan as if seeing her for the first time.

"...heeeey, you have a Pokémon now..."

"Gavin, no, she's brand new and I don't even-" The dark-haired boy protested, but was promptly shushed.

"Hey, 'Frey, league rules! We're both trainers, and I challenged you, so you can't say no!" Gavin grinned. "Besides, Goku'll go easy on her! Right, Goku?"

"Churr!" The monkey seemingly agreed, then bounced off Gavin's head, did a somersault, and landed on the ground a few feet away from Morgan.

"Gav', it's not you I'm worried about -" He was cut off as the Murkrow cawed a challenge, wings half-spread, ruby eyes blazing. The Chimchar eyed her up and down, then charged straight at her, before Gavin could even call for an attack.

"Gavin, no, call him back!" Godfrey fumbled with Morgan's Poké Ball, dropped it, picked it up, fumbled and dropped it again-

"KRAW!" The bird's cry wrenched his attention back to the battle. Far from being crippled by his inattention, Morgan was... actually winning. The Murkrow was far faster and more agile than she looked, effortlessly dodging Goku's flailing attacks with leaps that were almost incredible for a foot-tall, four-pound flightless bird, and retaliating with fierce pecks that were barely avoided by the rapidly tiring monkey, who was making three leaps to each one of hers.

Finally, the exhausted Chimchar made one final charge at the Murkrow, missed, stumbled, and received a sharp peck to the head that sent him reeling to the ground, semiconscious. The crow loomed over the beaten Pokémon ominously, clenching one sharp-clawed foot around his left arm to hold him still as she raised her beak for a killing blow - she struck, and then -

And that dagger beak came down, but struck only sand as a beam of brilliant scarlet light enveloped the monkey and sucked him safely back into his Poké Ball. Morgan gave a furious caw, wrenched her beak free and rounded on Gavin angrily, but was quickly withdrawn into her own sphere by Godfrey, who had finally remembered how it worked.

Gavin frowned, staring at the divot where the Murkrow's beak had stuck in the ground. "That is a wild, wild bird." He rubbed his Chimchar's Poké Ball anxiously. "I think she was going to kill him."

"I'm so, so sorry, Gav'." Godfrey replaced Morgan's ball in his pocket, then approached his friend cautiously. "Is Goku okay?"

The blond boy turned the Poké Ball around, nodding slowly. "Yeah... yeah, he's fine, the ball wouldn't have worked if he weren't, but that was way too close." He turned to Godfrey, then smiled slightly and offered him a hand. "Good battle, by the way."

"Thanks, I think. I mean, I didn't actually do anything, y'know." He clasped Gavin's hand briefly, then released it. "Want me to walk you to the Pokémon Center?"

The blond grinned, then mock-swooned. "So you can protect my honor while Goku can't? Oh, my knight in shining armor!"

Godfrey socked him in the shoulder, and the two made their way to the center, bantering and laughing all the while.


	5. Chapter 3: First Catch

**Okay, so we finally get our first catch! Here are the rules for this story, since there is a huge twist, as you may have picked up on in the last few chapters. **

**1. Starter is a level 2, lonely female Murkrow. This Murkrow, for story reasons, may not learn flying type moves other than the Pecks. (Or, as it turns out, Pluck, since it's also a pecking move.)  
2. Standard Nuzlocke stuff, faint = death, first encounter = only catch  
2a: Pokéballs clause - that first encounter bit doesn't take effect until you get your first batch o' balls.  
2b: No legendaries. At all. They're freakin' deities, man, you are not going to stuff them in a tiny little ball and chuck them in a PC box.  
3. Every Pokemon must have a story-related handicap. This _DOES_ affect how they are used.  
3a: Except when grinding in certain cases, because two or three turn kills really throw a monkey wrench in the works.  
4. Shinies clause is ON, Dupes Clause is OFF, Bullshit Clause DON'T EXIST.  
5. Arceus help me.**

**Okay, now on to the story! Enjoy!**

As it turned out, that battle was the last productive thing they did that day; Goku needed a night's rest and both felt it would almost be cheating to head home to eat and sleep. So, the remainder of the morning and all of the afternoon was spent wandering around Sandgem, picking up what few supplies hadn't been handed to them at the lab, eating junk food, and playing video games on the spare computers at the Pokémon Center.

By and large, they agreed, it was a win.

Over dinner (a cheeseburger and fries for Gavin, spaghetti for Godfrey), they discussed their plans.

"Where are you heading first, 'Frey?" The blond didn't even look up from his food as he asked, busily dousing both burger and fries in ketchup.

Godfrey shrugged, poking at his plate with his fork and trying to ignore the steadily-growing pile of tomato sauce across the table. "I'm not sure yet. I mean, I'm obviously going to do the gyms, but... y'know, right now, I kinda just want to wander around a little, catch some more Pokémon, get to know Morgan better. That kind of thing. What about you?"

"Dude, do you even have to ask? Straight for the gym!" Gavin beamed, picking up his burger and taking an enormous bite. "Th' wah Ah thee it -"

_"GAVIN!"_ Godfrey hastily unfolded his napkin and held it between his friend and his food as a shield. _"Swallow first."_

"Hmpf." The blond subsided, chewed hastily and gulped the bite down. "I said, the way I see it, Goku's gonna get stronger between here and there, anyway, so why worry about catching a bunch of guys before the very first challenge when my little buddy's gonna kick tail anyway?"

"I guess." Godfrey shrugged, scratching his chin. "Where is the first gym?"

"Hell if I know - we'll find out tomorrow. Now eat your dinner, or I will!" The blond grinned and began voraciously attacking his burger.

"The hell you will, I paid for this!"

...

The next morning, Godfrey rose before the sun. He got dressed - in jeans, a white t-shirt, his blazer and his scarf - re-arranged his bag to best effect, then slipped out of the room and banged on Gavin's door until he woke up and poked his bleary-eyed, sleep-mussed head out the door. "What? Early."

His visitor smiled. "Hey. Let's go to the lake one more time before we leave, eh? For old times' sake. We probably won't be back here for months."

Gavin stared blankly for a moment, then nodded and grunted. "Twenty minutes. Gotta shower. Get breakfast?"

"You bet."

...

And so it was that the dawn found the two young men sitting on the shores of Lake Verity, eating sandwiches and comparing notes on a pair of small maps they'd bought from the Mart before it closed the night before.

"So I guess the first gym's in Oreburgh, huh?" Gavin traced the pale tan line of a road. "That's... north and east from here, not too far. You coming with, 'Frey?"

Godfrey shook his head. "Not yet, I'm not up for a challenge just yet. Remember what happened yesterday? I can't risk Morgan doing that to a Gym Leader's Pokémon, they'd take her away from me."

His friend nodded, folding his map and peering over Godfrey's shoulder. "So where are you headed first?"

"Dunno. Floaroma sounds nice, kind of peaceful, and it's autumn so there shouldn't be much in the way of flowers even if it does live up to its name. I'll probably head there first, keep an eye out for Pokémon on the way, do some training with Morgan, all that stuff." He folded his map. "How long do you think you'll spend in Oreburgh?"

"Uhm..." Gavin shrugged. "Dunno. What do you say we meet up at the Pokémon Center there in, say, two weeks? Decide what happens from there?"

"Two weeks?" Godfrey considered, then nodded, and offered Gavin a handshake, which he accepted.

"It's a date, then."

...

Gavin left first, to retrieve Goku and his bag; leaving Godfrey alone on the lake's shore. He was just picking up the last of the trash from their breakfast, when a splash and a squeal caught his attention.

Startled, he dropped the bag and cautiously inched closer to the lake...

And there, struggling in the water, was something that looked vaguely like a wet rat, which squealed piteously as it fought desperately to keep its head above water.

He had hiked up his pant legs and waded out into the shallows before he knew it, and soon towed the helpless little creature to shore. It lay there trembling, unwilling to move, and he frowned, nudging it with his toe. "Go on, then, go home."

It squeaked and latched on to his leg, enormous brown eyes fixed pleadingly on his face as it trembled.

Recognizing a losing battle when he saw one, the young trainer extracted an empty ball from his pocket, and pressed it to the Pokémon's head.

It dissolved into the orb, which emitted a tinny little ding.

"...so I guess this is my first catch, huh?" The young man stared at the object that contained the first Pokémon he'd ever caught himself, and shrugged. "... Huh." He replaced the ball in his pocket, and patted the lump lightly. "I think I'll call you Kevin."

And then he gathered up the trash from breakfast, and jogged off back to Sandgem Town. It wouldn't do to let Gavin leave without him, after all.


	6. Chapter 4: Jubilife is For The Birds

**When I get a new catch, it will be listed at the bottom of the page in bold, along with the chosen Handicap. Any and all deaths will also be listed at the bottom as well. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

"Oh, my talking bird  
Though your feathers are tattered and furled  
I'll love you all your days  
Till the breath leaves your delicate face."

**Death Cab For Cutie, Talking Bird, Narrow Stairs**

* * *

They walked together for most of the morning, since there was only one road, parting only at the gates of Jubilife City. "See you in two, 'frey!" Gavin grinned, hauling Godfrey into a hug, then dashing off into the city.

"See you!" Godfrey called after him, then sighed. "...How the heck am I going to find anything else I'm allowed to catch? Kevin was just sorta _there_..." He puffed his cheeks out, scratching his head, then snorted. "Oh, whatever. Something's bound to fall into my lap at some point."

Little did he suspect how right he was – or how literally.

He was sitting in front of a cafe, taking a rest and sipping some hot chocolate before he went back to walking around the city, when the tent-like awning made an alarming groaning noise, and fell loudly against the building, dropping three lately-hatched Starly chicks from their nest and into his lap as it went.

Godfrey, being both compassionate and cowardly, promptly abandoned his drink (which was full of plaster dust anyway), gathered up the squeaking balls of fluff, and fled, terrified that something else would fall and actually _hit_ him.

He came to a halt only when he had retraced his steps all the way to the outskirts of the city, and stopped there, because at this point he had no idea what to do. Therefore, he settled down, cross-legged, and put the three small birds on the ground in front of him. "Now, what do I do with you?" He sighed, already wondering what had gotten into him.

The fledgelings ignored him utterly.

"I can't take you back there, because your nest is gone, and your parents..." Godfrey winced, suddenly realizing that the parent birds had either abandoned the chicks, or were dead.

"I mean, I really don't know what to do with you guys." The trainer sighed, pulling his knees into his chest and resting his arms across them, watching the three young birds pecking at the ground.

And then, an idea occurred to him.

"...I haven't caught anything here yet... and it's not exactly cheating..." Looking around to make absolutely sure no one was watching, Godfrey fumbled in his bag, extracted a Poké Ball, and conked one of the three oblivious fledgelings on the head with it.

Then he picked up the remaining two (who squeaked and struggled frantically, but were far too weak to struggle loose), stowed them carefully just under the flap of his satchel, but on top of all his supplies, and walked back into the city, trying his best to look innocent.

Of course, this just made him look like he had something to hide, and before he'd gotten two blocks...

"Is there perhaps being something the matter?" Godfrey froze dead in his tracks, then turned around slowly.

The biggest man he'd ever seen in his life was standing behind him. He had black hair, and brown eyes, and a tan that he must have gotten somewhere else (as it was autumn, and the days were far too short to tan in). He wore a brown trench coat over a white shirt and khaki slacks, and, oh yes, he was probably seven feet tall and he looked like he could have broken a rule-breaking little man of a trainer over his knee without the slightest mote of effort.

"N-no, no sir, nothing at all sir, can I help you sir?" He babbled, staring up (and up, and up) into the man's face.

"Is something being of making you nervous, perhaps?" The tall (tall, tall) man had an undefinable accent, he absently noted, licking suddenly dry lips and feeling very, very small.

"No sir! Nothing at all sir, really, but I really have to go-" He began to turn and leave... and his satchel chose that moment to cheep.

The big man had him by the shoulder before he could move another inch.

"What is this in your bag, then?"

Godfrey broke like a dropped Festival ornament. "Starlys! Two Starly chicks, they fell in my lap and I'm - I'm only supposed to catch one in each place and - and - and they're orphaned and I can't just leave them but I'm not allowed and-"

A big hand covered his mouth.

"So you are somewhat circumventing your rules, yes?" The big man, though he was far too terrified to notice, sounded both faintly amused and somewhat sympathetic.

Godfrey just nodded, closing his eyes and preparing to be snapped in half.

"Then I will be helping you, yes?"

At once, the big hands released him. He tensed, not sure what to expect, but the man merely flipped back the flap of his bag, and took a Starly in each hand. "Come, follow me. Yes?"

The young trainer was too stunned to do anything but follow the enormous man as he walked, parting the crowds in much the same way as a Wailord would, if a Wailord could walk down the street. They didn't stop until they'd walked out onto the route to the east of Jubilife.

"Here." One of the Starly was thrust into his face, and he flinched as it made a grab for his nose. "Catch it before it gets away, yes?"

He obeyed, trying not to let his perplexity show as he tapped the tiny bird on the beak with the ball, watching as it dissolved into a shower of sparkling scarlet and vanished into the waiting mouth of the device. A tiny ding! was his reward.

The big man smiled, then took him by the elbow and more-or-less dragged him through the tightly-packed trees to the north until they hit another road, then placed the last baby bird gently on the ground in front of him. "Now this one, yes?"

Another ball, another shower of light, another ding! The big man nodded in satisfaction, then turned and began to bull back through the trees. This shocked Godfrey out of his slightly dazed state, and he shouted, "hey! Wait!"

The behemoth paused and looked back at him. "Yes?"

"Er... thank you, sir. What's your name?" He fidgeted under the gaze of the goliath.

"I am not being permitted to tell you, but you may call me Looker!" He beamed. "Or Dave. I have always been most fond of that name, yes?"

And before Godfrey could say anymore, he crashed back into the trees and was gone.

The boy looked down at the ball in his hands, then back up. "... uh. Well. That was... something." He called after the man, "Thanks, Looker! Er, Dave! Whatever!" Then he looked up at the sky, and offered a tiny wave to the clouds. "Thanks, Arceus!"

And then he stowed the ball, and started walking. If Looker had dropped him where he thought he had, Floaroma would be just to the north - the shortcut through the trees had cut at least three hours off his travel time through Jubilife.

He paused, and tried to exercise his latent psychic abilities* to thank Looker from afar, then gave up and started walking again, hoping that the fields of Floaroma would be a safe place to bond with his new team.

*Not that he actually _had_ any psychic powers, but he always figured it never hurt to try.*

**Three new catches! Alice, female Brave Starly, David, Male Jolly Starly, and Darius, Male Modest Starly.**

**If you think I can improve on anything, don't be shy; tell me! Criticism makes me a better writer! **


	7. Chapter 5: Children, Children

"Closed for repairs? _WHAT._" Godfrey glared at the sign, then at the wooden barricade that stood between him and the single, enclosed path through the sheer stone wall to Floaroma.

"This is completely retarded!" He shouted, and of course received no answer from the stone and wood. So he turned away in a huff.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" He grumbled, absently rolling his Poké Balls between his fingers. "I can't get to Floaroma, but I really don't want to go to Oreburgh yet, but there is no way I'm going home after two days." He began walking, keeping the rock wall to his left, hoping against hope that there was maybe a trail up, when...

"Hey!"

The young man stiffened, then glanced back over his shoulder. A short, redheaded boy in a bright yellow shirt and blue jeans was standing there, brandishing a Poké Ball. "You're a trainer, right?"

"... If I say yes, you're going to want a battle, aren't you?"

"You are! I knew it!" The kid turned, cupped his free hand around his mouth and shouted, "Mike! Emmie! He is a trainer! Get over here!"

"Hey, wait, I don't want to-" The boy waved his arm impatiently, cutting Godfrey off with an impatient, _"SHH!"_

"Screw you too, then." The teenager grumbled, turning away and beginning to stalk off, in high dudgeon.

As soon as he turned, though, the child was on him, yanking the balls from his hands and flinging them left and right. "No you don't, you're battling us!"

"HEY!" He yelped, swatting the smaller boy aside and scrambling after his Poké Balls - too late to stop them ejecting their passengers, but hoping to at least stop the possible bloodbath -

"Hey, there he is! Go get 'em, Bidoof!" Another pre-adolescent male voice...

"You too, Starly!" ...as well as a female. _Arceus**dammit.**_

Godfrey groaned, the three fledgelings huddled, Kevin squeaked and dove behind him, and Morgan... Morgan _screamed_, flaring her wings in that gesture of belligerent challenge that was becoming all too familiar. The young trainer froze briefly, realizing that the Murkrow was probably going to slaughter the boy and girl's Bidoof and Starly, then snatched up a Poké Ball and tried to pull her back.

It was the wrong one. Instead of Morgan being removed from the fight, Kevin disappeared in a burst of crimson.

"Don't, please don't!" He yelped, trying one ball after another, desperately trying to recall the Murkrow - but the first boy swatted them out of his hands again, then joined his friends. "We're battling whether you like it or not! It's happening! Sic 'em, Budew!"

The young man closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. "This can't be happening. I only started two days ago, this is impossibly bad, so it's not happening... right?"

"SCRAW!"

"...it's happening." With a sigh, he opened his eyes and, out of ideas, beckoned to the Murkrow. "Morgan, return... please?"

"KRAW." The bird snapped her beak at him, then ignored him utterly, in favor of circling to stop the Bidoof from getting behind her - and then he realized that no, it wasn't herself she was concerned about.

It was the fledgeling Starly. She was protecting the young birds.

Godfrey felt his jaw drop, then mentally shook himself - _You're a trainer, act like it!_ - took a deep breath...

"Morgan! I'll help, okay?"

The Murkrow hissed, whirling to glare daggers at the Budew as it toddled closer, cheered on by the children. The Budew feinted closer, the Bidoof drew back in preparation to strike -

"Morgan, behind you!"

And, by Arceus, she _listened_. Those coiled-spring legs drove her a yard straight up into the air, and she came down like the fist of an angry god on the back of the Bidoof's neck, pecking at its head furiously until it cried out and went limp in surrender. The children stared.

"Bidoof!" The second little boy, Mike, a brunette who was dressed just like the first, held out his Poké Ball to recall his monster, staring at the Murkrow in thinly-veiled astonishment. "That thing's way strong."

"Shut up, baby!" The first boy smacked him on the top of the head. "Budew's gonna beat it, no sweat!"

"Nuh-uh, it's strong!"

"Yah-huh, Budew's stronger, 'cause I trained it and I'm gonna be the best ever!"

"Starly!" Both boys turned to look at the girl's outcry, and were astonished to see her Starly, who'd trounced them both soundly almost every time they battled, out cold on its stomach, with the Murkrow standing on its wings.

Morgan had jumped on the Starly's back mid-flight. Godfrey hadn't known that was even possible.

And now she was looking at him, and if she could he would swear that she would have been laughing. The Budew inched closer, but she ignored it, watching Godfrey expectantly. Is she waiting for me to say something?

"Er... Morgan, get, um... the Budew?" The command came out more like a hesitant question, and he could have sworn the bird rolled her eyes.

Yet, to his everlasting astonishment, she obeyed - with an easy bound, she came down on the tiny plant Pokémon, clenched her feet in its leaves, and unleashed a barrage of pecks on its head. The boy could only watch as his Budew was beaten into submission - it was unconscious before he could even issue a command.

Mike looked almost smug. "What was that about Budew?"

"You shut up!" The redhead recalled his Pokémon, and the three promptly turned and left, snubbing Godfrey utterly.

He was all too glad to let them go.

"That was incredibly stupid." He mumbled, watching as the trio vanished behind a stand of trees. "At least we won, right?" He turned, and looked, and couldn't stop a smile.

Because Morgan, angry, scary Morgan who had almost slaughtered a Chimchar in cold blood, was preening a fledgeling Starly's head. Godfrey began to inch closer... and Morgan was instantly there, between him and the young birds, every bristling feather on her frame promising endless pain if he laid so much as a finger on them.

"Hey, hey, um, no - not going to hurt them. Poké Balls." He pointed at the scattered collection of red-and-white spheres, and she craned her neck, looking behind her with one eye. "Er, that is, unless you'd like to stay out? We've got nowhere to be, right now."

The bird looked at him, and _nodded._ He gawked.

"You understood that?"

_Nod._

"Would you mind if I let Kevin out?"

_Shake._

"Thanks, er, just..." He fiddled with the one ball that hadn't been knocked from his grip entirely, letting the Bidoof out. (Kevin immediately ducked behind him.)

"Are you hungry?"

_Nod. Nod._

"Okay! Er, me too. Food's just..." He flicked the bag open and rummaged through, coming up with three shrink-wrapped packages.

"How do you feel about dried meat?"

The bird cocked her head, and he shrugged, tearing open the package he held and tipping its contents into the grass in front of Morgan. "It's not jerky, that stuff has way too much salt for you. Says it's specially fortified for carnivorous bird Pokémon." He paused, and shook his head. "And I'm talking to a bird like she understands every word I say. Arceus have mercy." He ripped open the second package, which was full of a standard pellet for omnivorous Pokémon, and poured it out for Kevin.

Then he plopped down on the ground and opened the third bag, which was full of trail mix. He proceeded to dump a pile of nuts, raisins and chocolate candies into his hand, and toss a few in his mouth, watching as Kevin sniffed at the food he'd been offered, then looked at him plaintively and began pawing at his leg.

And as Morgan tried the food he'd given her, then ushered the three young birds forward to eat as well, he decided that this trainer thing was pretty darn cool.

Even if his next handful of trail mix revealed that the Bidoof had somehow stolen all his M&Ms.


	8. Chapter 6: Budding Friendship

That afternoon in the fields between Jubilife and Floaroma was a turning point, though they didn't know it at the time.

Morgan, for all her dislike of humans, found herself grudgingly appreciative of this one. After all, even if he kept her in that Poké Ball thing, he fed her, talked to her like she understood (which she did, mostly) and let her take over caring for the chicks (which showed some modicum of sense, since he obviously had no idea what to do). In that respect, he was better than the old man, who had ignored her, the yellow-crested one, who had made the monkey attack her, and the girl, who had treated her like a dumb animal.

She did miss the food at the big building, though. Dry meat was not nearly as satisfying as fresh.

And, oh, how she missed the sky...

David, the last to hatch of the three young Starly, was mostly relieved - there was an older bird with them now, he could relax. He wasn't sure what to think about the human - it made strange noises, but Older Bird seemed to understand, and she wasn't flying away, so he supposed it was safe. Probably.

The second youngest, Alice, was simply curious - the human thing was not particularly threatening, and it had a fluffy thing which looked at once the same as, and different than, that other fluffy thing that had tried to attack them. She was the first to hop away from the others, and investigate, though to begin with she only shuffled around the strange animal, examining it from every angle.

But then she bravely clambered onto the creature and began running her beak through its fuzz. She wasn't scared of this fluffy thing at all.

Kevin the Bidoof, on the other hand, was terrified. His family had driven him off because he couldn't bring food home - he couldn't stay afloat in the water like they could, because his coat didn't shed water like theirs did. What if this new family chased him off too? At the same time, if he moved, he might hurt the tiny bird, and then they would push him away, for certain.

He didn't know what to do, so he simply lay there, quaking, with his paws over his eyes.

The eldest, Darius, remained where he was, ignoring everything else - he wasn't a very good flier yet, and it was tiring wiggling along on his belly, pushing himself forward with ungainly legs. Besides, there was food here, and he was hungry yet - it had been days since their parents had last fed them. And Older Bird had assured him the food was good, and it would make him strong. Maybe it would make his legs work right if he ate enough.

Godfrey himself was utterly content - his team were all out of their Poké Balls and, amazingly, Morgan was not only not killing them, she was caring for them... well, the Starly, at least. Funny, really. I thought she was vicious. He thought with a grin as he flopped down on his back, gently shooing Alice (at least, he thought it was Alice) off of a terrified Kevin. "Take it slow, girl, he's kinda timid."

Morgan shot him a dirty look.

"Oh, come on, she was scaring him. Look at him." He lazily indicated the Bidoof, who was surreptitiously inching closer to him, big brown eyes begging for sanctuary.

The Murkrow made a dry, croaking noise, but turned her glare away, and Godfrey chuckled low in his throat, sleepily.

"Just tell her to take it easy on the poor little guy." He caressed the Bidoof's cotton-soft coat, and the little animal cooed softly, curling into a ball of brown fluff against the human's side.

Eventually, almost all of them fell asleep, the Bidoof snuggled closely against his trainer, and the three Starly nestled under the Murkrow's wings. Morgan alone remained awake, vigilant.

She may not have liked all of them, but they were all hers, now, and she would make damn sure that they were safe.


	9. Chapter 7: Bad Dreams

_"And they all lived happily ever after." The book closed with a quiet little thump, and was tucked away somewhere._

"Does happily ever after really happen, mama?"

"Sometimes, baby. For a little while." An impression of his mother, so much less grey in her hair, smiling like she hadn't since that day at the hospital.

"But it's time to wake up, now."

And quite suddenly, he found himself sitting up, eyes open, staring into the dark. (When had it gotten dark? how long had he been asleep?)

There was something there. He was called.

Without knowing quite why, but somehow without disturbing the lump of brown fluff who slept on by his side (why was he asleep? Why was he not?) he got up, and started walking.

It was something like what he'd imagined being a robot (or a rowboat) would be like - smooth and easy, something else beyond him drawing him onward, onward, ever onward until-

He stopped.

There it was. Of course.

Mechanically, he removed a ball from his satchel, and used it for something close enough to its intended purpose. Mechanically, he turned around, returning to his team. Mechanically, he gathered their balls and pulled them back. Mechanically, he kept walking.

He walked forever, and for no time at all.

And then the door opened before him - _and where did that come from?_ - and he walked in. He handed them to her, and then...

Then there was nothing at all.

When he woke again, it was broad daylight, warm sunbeams streaming through the white-curtained window, illuminating the white sheets of the hard bed. Casting rainbows through the IV bag, dancing down the tube connected to his arm.

He was very suddenly, very starkly awake.

Frantically, he groped down, down, down - feeling for the button he at once knew would be there and dreaded, and mashed it, fighting with the knot of panic crawling up his throat, trying not to choke on it.

A nurse was there almost instantly - a pretty thing, with a knotty, loose bun of red hair that left wisps straying down over her pale face, into her blue eyes, over her white collar. She smiled, and he felt his throat clench tighter.

"Why-" He croaked, coughed, tried again, "why am I here?" His voice sounded like he'd eaten broken glass and chased it with a shot of gravel, but he was irrationally proud of managing to speak at all.

The nurse came to his side, helped him sit up, poured him a glass of water, speaking softly as she worked. "You wandered into the Pokémon Center in the middle of last night, handed the nurse your Pokémon, and proceeded to have a grand mal seizure in the middle of the floor. I'm not surprised you don't remember anything, and you shouldn't be either." He drank as she folded the sheets back, smoothed them over his legs. "How are you feeling?"

He drained the glass, set it down on the little swing-out table attached to the bed, grasped her arm with the desperation of a drowning man clinging to a life preserver. "Better. Much better. Can I leave now? I would really, really like to leave. Now, that is."

She laughed, gently disengaged his hand, smoothed her sleeve - he noticed there were teddy bears printed on it, clung to the detail in an attempt to distract himself. "Wait 'til the doctor gives the okay, all right? He'll be here as soon as I tell him you're awake." She turned to leave, and, horrified at the prospect of being alone in the empty white room, he blurted,

"Wait!" She stopped. "Why - why do you have teddy bears on your shirt?"

"Children like teddy bears; it distracts them." She smiled. "Seems to have worked on you, too. I'll be right back with Doctor Hain."

And she was gone.

The clock said it had only been two minutes when the pretty nurse returned, but Godfrey knew it was lying. He'd been waiting for at least three hours, surely.

"What _took_ you so long?" He all but whimpered. The woman merely patted his knee, reassuringly. "The doctor will be right in. I brought some things for you to sign in the interval." A clipboard was placed in his lap, and he began mechanically checking the survey off as the nurse chatted amiably on.

"... Oh, the nurse showed me your team while you were out, and I really must say, you've got some interesting specimens! I've never seen a Murkrow before, you know."

Godfrey smiled, just briefly, just slightly. "Morgan's something, isn't she?" Check, check, scritch-scratch-scribble, and another form was filled. He was dimly aware that the nurse was really only trying to distract him, but drowned that realization stubbornly in gratitude that she was.

He really, really hated hospitals.

The doctor arrived just as the nurse left with a clipboard worth of Godfrey's chicken scratch. He was a tall man, strongly built, with chocolate-dark skin, and short, coffee-dark hair, and dark, kind eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

"Hello there, Godfrey. How are you feeling this morning, hmm? It's nice to see you awake!" The doctor crossed the room in three long strides, and lightly clapped him on the shoulder. The young man forced up an answering smile that was more of a well-meaning grimace.

"I've been better - I feel fairly well, though. The nurse said I had a seizure?"

Doctor Hain nodded, nudging his spectacles up his nose. "Quite a serious one, in fact. We... can't seem to find any particular reason why, all your tests have come up clean so far. Can you remember anything about what might have led up to this? Did you hit your head on anything recently? Have you been to any, ah, particularly exciting parties?"

Godfrey blinked, then grimaced in earnest. "No, no, and also not only no but hell no, sir. I only have two friends, and none of us is prone to particularly wild parties. Especially not, er, chemically encouraged parties."

"What about your Pokémon? Any psychic type attacks amongst them?" The doctor didn't look up, scratching things down on a notepad as he asked.

"No, sir. I have three Starly, a Bidoof, and a Murkrow, I don't think any of them even has psychic potential."

The doctor raised an eyebrow, checked his notes. "What about your sixth Pokémon, does it know anything in the way of psychic attacks?"

Godfrey stared blankly, then a sort of vague horror dawned on his face as the strangely dreamlike events of the night before surfaced. "...I think we've found our problem, sir."

"Yes?" Doctor Hain rocked forward slightly, looking at his patient with businesslike curiosity.

"I don't have a sixth Pokémon." He frowned. "Or maybe I do now. Something very strange happened last night, you see..."

In the end, after hours of interviewing and at least a half-dozen more tests, the doctor determined that there was nothing physically wrong with Godfrey, and he was free to go. He was dressed and out the door in record time, and at the Pokémon Center what felt like even faster, eager to just _go_, somewhere far, far away from doctors and hospital beds and intravenous fluids.

And it was there that he was confronted with that mysterious sixth Poké Ball.


	10. Chapter 8: This is Batty

It was mid-afternoon by the time Godfrey decided to pause for a rest. He'd returned Morgan and the Psyduck he still thought of as Phil (despite the fact that it seemed to dislike the name) to their balls earlier, as the Murkrow had tired of hopping around at about the same time that his arms had tired of carrying the Psyduck.

Now, he let them out again, along with the Starly chicks and Kevin the Bidoof.

Naturally, the first thing Alice did was go hopping over to Phil, and begin pecking lightly at one webbed foot, intent upon provoking some sort of reaction. The Psyduck, unsurprisingly, completely ignored her.

More peculiar was Kevin's reaction - the Bidoof, rather than fleeing or hiding, instead scuttled nervously over to Phil. He burbled in greeting, sniffed at the Psyduck's fluffy, yellow belly, then flopped down in front of it, completely relaxed.

Godfrey beamed at that. "Aww - look, Morgan, Kevin likes Phil too!"

Morgan looked up from David's head - she'd been preening away pinfeathers - and made that strange quack-like laughing noise again.

"Ah, you shut up, it's adorable." Grinning, the trainer fished a couple of food packets out of his bag, and carefully peeled each package apart at the seams, using the foil-backed plastic to keep the dust of the road off of his team's meal for the day.

"Dig in, guys. It's probably going to be night before we're in Oreburgh, and I know for a fact that there's a tunnel between there and here." He grimaced. "I just hope there aren't any Zubat."

...

As it turned out, there were Zubat. Lots and lots of Zubat.

And as Godfrey cowered in a nook, waiting for the swarm to pass, he couldn't help but feel he'd jinxed himself.

The swarm flittered by – he held his breath, praying they wouldn't notice him – and then they were past, and the squeaking cacophony began to fade.

He experienced a moment of premature relief as things began to quiet down – but his luck ran out as he crept free of his nook. A loose stone rolled under his feet, and he yelped, fell flat on his face, and knocked Phil's Poké Ball loose all at once.

The screaming mass of bats was on him almost instantly.

...

"And that," He sighed, slumping back in his chair as he finished his recounting of his day's journey, "is why I'm covered in bat guano and feathers." He leaned to one side, retrieved his tall glass of water from the small side table and took a long, grateful swig.

Gavin stared. "...You ran _all the way_ through that tunnel, carrying a Psyduck, and somehow did not get eaten by the giant flock of Zubat that you claim you were fleeing."

"I detect a hint of skepticism in thy dulcet tones, my lady." Godfrey grinned tiredly and ducked the halfhearted swat Gavin threw at his head, setting the glass back down and leaning forward. "Okay, if you want more detail, it went something like this..."

...

Phil popped out of the ball, and stared dimly at the swarm of screeching purple death.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as Godfrey scrambled to his knees, made a desperate snatch for the ball, the mass of Zubat whipped around to dart for the trainer and his Pokémon...

And the Psyduck opened its beak and vomited forth a great gout of water. The bats scattered, shrieking, the trainer scrambled to his feet, snatched up the duck and its ball, turned, and sprinted for the dim light that signified the exit - executing the occasional pirouette to point Phil at the swarm, so that the Psyduck could drive the screaming mass back.

Luckily for him, just as he began to run out of steam, he turned a corner and was nearly blinded by the full light of day.

...

"And I got outside, and then I ran into you, and... yeah, you know the rest." Godfrey picked up his glass again, and drained it, then set it on the ground and stared in distaste at the unidentifiable smudges on his hands. "And I could really, really use a shower now."

Gavin rolled his eyes, and flapped his hands dismissively. "Get outta here, you smell anyway. When do you want to go for supper?"

"Er. Half an hour, forty-five minutes? I have bat shit and road grit in places you don't even want to know about."

"Too much information, 'frey. Half an hour it is."


	11. Chapter 9 Oh, Really?

The night was a peaceful one - Gavin had discovered a pizza place that did delivery in the two days he'd been in Oreburgh, so they ordered a couple and spent the night eating, playing video games, and generally slacking off. By unspoken agreement, they did not discuss the gym or their personal teams at all.

Not right then, anyway.

The next morning, though, they were up with the sun, and outside the city before most of its inhabitants had the chance to consume their morning coffee.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Gavin rolled his starter's Poké Ball nervously back and forth between his hands. "I mean, your Murkrow almost killed him and it's only been like two days and... yeah."

Godfrey smiled brightly. "Not using Morgan this time, I promise. I caught some others, and I'd like to see what they can do, that's all."

"Some? How many?" Gavin produced a second ball. "I just caught this little guy here on the way. He, uh... he wouldn't quit dive-bombing me." The blond tapped the ball's button lightly. "C'mon out, O'Reilly."

The ball popped open, and a burst of crimson light later, Godfrey was looking at a larger, scruffier version of his three baby Starly.

"Nice. Why O'Reilly, though?" The trainer knelt and reached out a hand to the Starly - snatching it immediately back when the bird snapped at his fingers.

"Well, uh... it was kinda an accident. The nurse was putting his information into the computer, and I got a little distracted, so when she asked his name I was all, 'Oh, really?' 'cause I wasn't really listening and... well..." The blond rocked back on his heels, a deeply sheepish look on his face.

"...So technically, his name's 'Oh, really?'" Godfrey snickered. "I didn't think it was possible to outdo the Chimchar named Goku, but... wow, Gav. Just, wow."

"Shut up!" The blond huffed. "O'Reilly's a perfectly respectable name! Not what I was going for, but it works just fine." He rolled Goku's ball between his fingers again.

"Anyway, what'd you get?"

Godfrey reached into his satchel, and produced five balls in silent answer.

"You caught _five_?!" Gavin yelped. "Holy _shit_, 'frey, lemme see!"

"You bet!" Godfrey beamed. "C'mon out, Alice, Darius, David, Kevin and Phil!" Deciding that this called for a little bit of drama, he fanned the balls between his fingers - three in the right hand, two in the left - crossed his forearms in front of him, then uncrossed them explosively, tossing the balls all at once.

He was promptly blinded by the bursts of light from five Poké Balls all releasing their occupants at once.

"Ow, shit, bad idea!"

Gavin just burst out laughing as his friend blinked furiously, rubbing the stars from his eyes. "Dude, did you just imitate that gym leader from Kanto's kid? The ninja chick?"

"Shut up, Gav', I thought it looked cool." Godfrey groused, blinking rapidly in a somewhat-successful attempt to clear the multicolored lights from his vision. "Anyway, the Psyduck's Phil, the Bidoof's Kevin, the tiny Starly's Alice, the one with the weird legs is Darius, and, uh..." He missed one of the Starly, looked around anxiously, grinned as he spotted the chick, "... the one that's stalking your shoe is David."

The blond looked down, then dropped into a crouch and cooed. "Aww, isn't he _adorable_? C'mere, you little devilbutt, you." David was promptly scooped into Gavin's arms and cuddled. The blond trainer proceeded to caress the young Starly affectionately as he looked his friend's team over.

"...um... 'Frey, your Bidoof looks kinda weird. And I think something took a chunk outta your Psyduck... and why are all your Starly half-fledged and fluffy?"

Godfrey nibbled his lower lip, bending to pat a nervous Kevin as he did. "Well, um... the Starly fell in my lap. Like, literally. An awning nearly fell on me in Jubilife, and they dropped out." He shrugged, helplessly, looking down at the two tiny birds who sat by his feet, watching Gavin solemnly. "I couldn't just leave them, could I?"

The blond shook his head.

"What about the Bidoof?"

"Kevin was drowning, since he can't swim - that's why he looks weird, no waterproof outer coat - and Phil..." He shook his head, decided Gavin didn't need to know all the details. "Phil just sort of... showed up, last night."

"Huh. Well... That's pretty lucky, actually." The blond grinned.

"Why's that, Gav'?"

"First gym leader uses rock types!" Gavin flung his arms out in an expansive gesture (David squealed and clung to his shirt with a deathgrip). "So, if Phil's a decent fighter, the gym should be easy for you."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." Godfrey held up his hands in a nervous gesture. "I've never even tried battling with these guys yet, remember? All I know is that Phil makes a great water gun in a pinch."

"Then let's do that battle, 'Frey!" Gavin beamed. "Phil and, um..." He gestured. "I dunno, you pick one, against Goku and O'Reilly? Just to see what they can do."

The dark-haired trainer scratched his head. "You sure, Gav'?"

"Am I ever not sure? Pick one and let's go!" The blond rocked forward onto the balls of his feet, bounced excitedly, squeezing the Starly in his arms until the tiny creature squeaked in protest. "This time I'm totally gonna win!"

"Technically, last time you didn't lose..." Godfrey contemplated briefly, then glanced over at the smallest of his birds. "Alice, you want to try?"

The fledgeling looked at him, perplexed. He sighed, then walked over, and nudged her up next to Phil with the toe of his shoe, ignoring her angry beeps of protest. "Go easy on them, okay, Gav'?" He turned, bent, scooped Darius up, patted Kevin again - the Bidoof huddled against his leg, watching the Psyduck and Starly with fearful eyes.

Gavin nodded, solemn for just a moment. "Like I said, just to see."

Then he was all excitement and exuberance again. "Okay! Let's go, Goku!" The ball hurtled into the air, bounced once, twice - and then popped open, and released a monkey that was much, much larger than he had been the last time Godfrey had seen him. Goku let out a delighted squeal, and dropped into a crouch next to O'Reilly, who was disinterestedly preening his left wing.

The dark-haired trainer's eyes went saucer-wide as he took the ex-Chimchar in. "He evolved? _ALREADY?_"

"Like I said, 'Frey, he got way stronger on the way." Gavin beamed, pleased at his friend's reaction. "Truth be told, though, it was the Gym Leader's last Pokémon that got him to do it." He lowered his voice conspiratorially. "It's a _fucking dinosaur_."

Godfrey swallowed hard. "I'll keep that in mind. So, uh... Who goes first?"

The blond nodded. "Like I said, this is mostly for you, yeah? You go ahead - pretend this is a gym battle."

"Okay. Uh..." He awkwardly toed the ground, thinking. "...Phil -"

He'd barely said the name before the Psyduck had doused the disinterested O'Reilly, who squawked in furious discomfiture and bounded forward, ignoring his trainer's command of "Wait!"

The Starly awkwardly hop-skip-charged at the Psyduck, who stared blankly at him - but just as Gavin's bird lunged...

"Alice! Now!"

A grey blur hurtled at the furious O'Reilly, and a ball of fluttering, squeaking feathers tumbled across the sandy ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris. Furious squeals and chirps floated out of the screen of dust, along with the occasional grey feather - and then the furor died down all at once.

When the cloud settled, Alice stood triumphant, tiny wings outstretched, peeping a victory cry as she loomed over her temporarily-disabled foe.

Gavin blinked, setting David down and picking up his Starly's ball, recalling the stunned Pokémon. "I did not see that coming. I guess it's my turn now, though - Goku, catch that bird!"

The Monferno let out a gleeful hoot, then he crouched, wiggled his rear end once, and pounced at the Starly - who squealed in fear and scrambled away, fluttering her tiny wings frantically. Goku made another leap, was on her near-instantly, and before she could even try to wriggle free, the monkey had her pinned to the ground, on her belly. The tiny bird beeped piteously, unhurt, but trapped.

"I'd say Goku won that one, huh?" Gavin beamed, motioning to the Monferno to let go, as Godfrey called the helpless Starly back to his side.

They began to square off again - but then Phil doused the fire monkey, before Godfrey could do more than vaguely gesture. The two trainers stared as the Monferno wailed, flailed, ook-ed, and eek-ed in intense discomfort.

Gavin recalled his starter.

"Y'know what, 'Frey?"

"What?" Godfrey regarded his Psyduck dubiously, wondering what the hell had happened there. (The duck merely stared back at him, unblinking.)

"I think you're about ready for that gym."

"I... think you might be right. Holy crap."

And so it came to pass that the three of them - Godfrey, Gavin, and Phil - found themselves at the - _imposing, terrifying, oh dear Arceus what am I getting myself into_ - double doors of the first gym that might or might not have started Godfrey off on the League Challenge.

"So, uh... How does this work, Gav'? Do I just go in and yell, do I need an appointment...?" The trainer fidgeted, tugging lightly at his collar as though he wasn't getting quite enough air. (He felt like he wasn't, anyway.)

"You more or less go in and yell. Then you fight some guys, then you fight the leader himself. If you win, you get a badge and some money." Gavin grinned, and gave his shoulder a shove. "Now get in there, while we're still young."

The other trainer smiled shakily in response. "Okay, okay. I just hope this isn't a mistake."

The enormous doors creaked open at a touch, and the small figures trickled inside.

The portal clanged ominously shut behind them.


	12. Chapter 10: Roark

Godfrey took a long, deep breath, surveying the inside of the gym. It was dim, and very grey, with an impression of looming rocks to either side - though it was hard to tell with the lack of light. The floor underfoot was utterly smooth, though, and Godfrey was willing to bet that the entire place gleamed when it was lit.

It was, however, completely deserted.

"So, um, Gav'... What do I do? What do I _say?_" He mumbled nervously to the blond at his side, who chuckled softly.

"You really need to surf the Porygon tubes more often, dude. The formal challenge is, um..." He scratched his nose, a thoughtful look on his face. "I think, for you, it would go something like, 'I, Godfrey, do challenge you, leader whoeveryouare, to a formal battle for your badge.' You yell that, then you strike a cool pose and maybe have your Pokémon do the same thing."

"You - please tell me you actually know this one's name, you _just_ beat him." Godfrey hissed, eyes wide with something verging on panic.

"Calm, 'Frey, calm. His name's Roark. I think you'll like him." Gavin patted his friend lightly on his shoulder, then released his Monferno and rested his free hand on the fire-type's head. "You got this. I'll be cheering you on, and so will Goku - just trust Phil, that duck is ri-duck-you-lus."

"...that was the worst pun I have ever heard, Gav." Godfrey chuckled shakily, elbowed his friend in the ribs, then took a step forward, drew a deep breath, and shouted,

"I, Godfrey, formally challenge you, leader Roark of Oreburgh, to a battle for your badge!"

He considered for a moment, then decided to more-or-less forgo the pose, simply placing his hands confidently on his hips. Phil waddled up next to him.

Gavin pouted, and leaned lightly on Goku's head. "How the hell did he manage to make that sound cooler than I did?!"

The response was immediate. A door that had been hidden in the gloom burst open, a heavy switch was flipped with an audible **CLUNK**, and the entire gym was suddenly _flooded_ with brilliant light, revealing that yes, the entirety of the perimeter of the inside was lined with enormous boulders.

Three figures - the two shorter flanking the third, who was tall, muscular, and dressed in the bright orange coveralls of a miner - proceeded out of the door. They approached in lockstep, and the tallest offered the young man a handshake as soon as he was within arm's reach, dark blue eyes gleaming from the shadow cast by his hard hat.

"And I, Roark of Oreburgh, do officially accept your challenge, trainer Godfrey!" Roark firmly shook Godfrey's hand, then took a step back, behind the two shorter figures - a boy and a girl in neat, but simple, green uniforms, who took a matching step forward, Poké Balls in hand. "Let the battles commence!"

Heart in his throat, Godfrey nodded, then took two steps back and one to the right, behind Phil. "Okay, you know what to do."

The Psyduck turned to look at him, eyes slightly unfocused and feathery brows knitted in confusion.

All he could really do was groan.

"Arceussakes... Phil, turn around and wait for me to say something, okay?"

"Wack." The duck responded, and obediently turned to stare indifferently at the two children.

"All right, I'm first!" The boy cheered, pumping his fist in excitement, then chucking his ball. "Go get that duck, Rubble!"

The ball burst, releasing a grey granite orb with dark eyes and enormous fists. Phil quacked quizzically, but otherwise did not react, merely staring blankly from the boy to his Geodude and back.

"Rubble the Geodude versus Phil the Psyduck. Battle one begins... now!" Roark declared, sweeping his hand down between the two Pokémon, then taking a quick hopskip back, out of their way.

"Okay! Rubble, smash him with some rocks!" The boy swept his arm out in a wide, enthusiastic gesture at the Psyduck. The Geodude was quick to obey, snatching one of the enormous rock shards at the side of the arena up and hefting it over his head, turning ominously towards the oblivious duck.

Godfrey stifled a chuckle - the youngster was clearly enjoying himself, it wasn't fair to find it funny - and called to his Pokémon, "Phil! Get out of the way!"

The Psyduck quacked - and, rather than bothering to move at all, instead vomited water all over the Geodude, who squealed, dropped the rock right on his head, then moaned and dragged himself back to his trainer, flailing sporadically.

His young trainer groaned. "Rubble! Get back out there, this is important, come on, please?"

"Duuuur." The Geodude glared at him, then reached up and pressed the button of his own ball, vanishing back into it with a flash of crimson light.

Roark, stifling a chuckle, swept his hand down again. "Rubble is unwilling to battle! Phil wins!"

The losing trainer hung his head, defeated, and shuffled off the field, not even looking at his opponent or the Psyduck that had humiliated him. Roark quickly intercepted him.

"You did a good job, Ben." He smiled, and the young trainer perked up a little.

"Thanks, sir." The girl nudged Ben's shoulder in passing, and shot him a little grin. "I'll beat him for you, 'kay, Ben?"

Ben beamed. "You bet, Tiff'. I'll be cheering you on!"

The girl flounced (there was no other word for it) into Ben's place, and held up her own ball. "Right, now you're in trouble. I won't lose!"

Godfrey nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Are we ready?"

The girl lobbed her Poké Ball. "We are now! Go get him, Sadie!"

Another Geodude appeared - this one was just as big and rough as the other had been, but it had eyes of startling sapphire blue, and, oddly enough, a pink bow glued to it just above and behind its left eye.

"And I'll keep using Phil."

The Psyduck stared at the Geodude. "Durf."

Roark nodded. "Begin... Now!"

"Sadie! Go for the head, tackle its brains out!"

"Phil! Get out of the wa-"

The Geodude rushed for Phil, scuttling on its arms like a crab, then hurled itself into the air, and came crashing down on the unresisting duck, Godfrey's cry utterly unheeded by the fluffy yellow Pokémon. The Psyduck tumbled limply across the arena, and Sadie's trainer crossed her arms and nodded in satisfaction, turning to look at her friend. "See, Ben? That's how you do it."

"...er, Tiffie, you might want to look again." Ben's gaze was riveted on something behind her. She turned, and looked...

...and Sadie was down, and the Psyduck was up, and she had no idea whatsoever how that had happened, because it had been totally unconscious, she was sure of it. Hardly anything could stay conscious after a Geodude slammed directly into its' head!

Nevertheless, there the duck stood, a bruise blooming over its eye, but a surprising look of concentration furrowing its forehead. And Sadie was utterly unconscious, saturated, a few flakes of rock cracking off her surface.

"Sadie is unable to battle! Phil wins!" Roark looked pretty surprised himself, she dimly noticed.

"How -" Tiffany shook her head, and recalled her Geodude. "Dammit."

Godfrey grinned and waved. "That's why you don't look away until the results have been declared. It was a good battle, though!"

"Hmph." The girl turned, nose in the air, and stomped off. "C'mon, Ben, we gotta go see the nurse."

The two youngsters pushed past Gavin and Goku, and one of the doors snapped open and shut.

And they were gone, without so much as a by-your-leave.

Roark blinked, and shrugged.

"Well, you've beaten my gym trainers. That means it's my turn!" The leader beamed. "I have to say, I'm impressed! Those two usually weed out new competitors."

"With Geodudes?" Godfrey blinked. "No offense, sir, but aren't they..."

"No, no, you have a water type." Roark smiled gently. "Most people come in here with, say, a Ponyta or a Starly, and Geodudes just beat the hell out of those. It's their own silly fault, really, if they show up unprepared - it's a good wake-up call for them, watching their Pokémon lose for the first time. They almost always win the second go-around, though, because then they're more careful." He waved a hand airily. "But that has nothing to do with you. So - let's see how your Phil handles my first! Go, Brock!"

Roark whipped out a Poké Ball, and lobbed it. "The match begins now! It ends only when one trainer is completely out of conscious Pokémon!" The ball hit the ground, the Geodude within burst free, flung himself into motion, and the battle was joined!

Phil, oddly enough, seemed to be concentrating intensely - still staring, but with intent this time, dodging every attack the Geodude flung at her with eerie ease, deep brown eyes boring into the rock type.

At first, the battle seemed fairly evenly matched - if Brock couldn't hit Phil, neither could the Psyduck hit him. It could have gone on for hours.

It could have, but it didn't, because Brock, enraged by his inability to hit the Psyduck, flung his arms around the biggest nearby rock and hefted it, preparing to throw - and Phil spouted water like a burst main, saturating her opponent. The rock type wailed, and the rock fell, and Roark blinked, recalling the disabled Geodude.

"Did you teach your Pokémon that? Very clever, I must say!"

"T-thank you!" Godfrey sputtered - because he most certainly had not taught Phil how to do that!

"Right, now for the tough one." Roark beamed, and lightly stroked the ball, before lobbing it. "Come on out, Roxanne!"

The light that the ball emitted seemed brighter than usual - Godfrey shaded his eyes, wincing, and when he looked out...

There was, indeed, a fucking dinosaur staring him down.

"A-buh- buh- huh-" He pointed, and gabbled. "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT?!" (In the background, he could hear Gavin cracking up at his reaction, did his best to ignore him)

Roark patted the little dinosaur affectionately. "A gift, from a friend in Hoenn. They're quite extinct in the wild, to be sure, but there's a very successful fossil-cloning program in Rustboro. Roxie knew I loved dinosaurs, so she sent me this one as a birthday gift." The leader chuckled. "I named Roxanne here after her in thanks."

He paused. "But, that has nothing to do with our present business. To battle! Roxanne, headbutt that Psyduck!"

The dinosaur gave a squeaky little roar, and rushed at Phil, and Phil was moving, but so slow, so very slow - Godfrey felt his heart leap into his throat as the pachycephalosaur made contact -

And Phil went flying. And bounced.

"Oh, Arceus." He whimpered. "Phil, please get up, please get up-"

The Psyduck didn't move. Roxanne gave a tiny little trumpeting snort, and turned to trot back to her master -

The ground rumbled.

The little dinosaur looked down - and a geyser burst from the floor. She was blasted fifteen feet into the air, squealing in terror... and then, quite suddenly, the water was gone.

She hit the floor hard. There was an audible crack as that domed head smashed into the ground, and then she was quite unconscious.

And Phil was up. Swaying, bleeding, pupils dilated, but up and _glaring._

"I... think I win." Godfrey breathed, awed.

Roark nodded, once. "Well done. My assistant will deliver you your prize when it's been assembled - but for now, Roxanne needs medical attention, and I think Phil does, too."

"R-right... thanks, and... thanks." Stunned, still coming off his adrenaline high – _ohmyArceus I won, I __**won!**_ - Godfrey walked into the arena, scooped up Phil, turned on his heel, and left.

**Oh, manufactured drama. This gym was a rofflestomp. One hit KO everything, two hit KO the Cranidos, not a single fuck was given. Phil is a boss.**


	13. Chapter 11: Nightmare

_It was late the night of the gym battle._

Godfrey thought he'd been asleep, but that couldn't be, because he was standing in the middle of Oreburgh, specifically in the fountain.

And he was stark naked.

Not alone, though - Gavin was sitting on the edge of the thing, looking out at something in the black void surrounding the moonlit fountain. Moved by some strange compulsion, he began to approach - and the blond's hand snapped up in a gesture to ward him off.

"Please don't get any closer, because then I'll be carried off by some sort of shadowy creature, and then I'll have to come back in a form that's far less pleasant. That wouldn't be much fun for anyone." Glowing magenta eyes in a shadow-veiled face met Godfrey's over Gavin-not-Gavin's shoulder. "You're dressed now, by the way."

"...thank... you?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, and sat down in the suddenly dry fountain, fiddling with one ear of his new pink Bidoof slippers and trying not to pick at the pills on his old flannel pajama bottoms.

"You're quite welcome. You might want to close your eyes for a moment, though, something unpleasant is about to happen."

"I'm asleep, aren't I?" Godfrey clasped his hands over his eyes dutifully, and winced as a wet tearing sound mingled with a screaming voice that sounded very like his best friend's.

"Perceptive! I like that in a man." Not-Gavin's voice practically sparkled with delight. "Yes, dear, you are - quite. Sawing logs like a champion. That's how I'm speaking with you, you know - you may look now, by the by."

"Who are you exactly?" Godfrey tentatively peeked through his fingers, spotted nothing amiss, and dropped his hands into his lap. Not-Gavin was sitting across from him, mirroring his position, draggled blond hair dripping crimson into those eerie, glowing eyes. (The dreamer had to try very, very hard not to shudder.)

"Let me see, let me see... that's a harder question than you think it is, darling." Not-Gavin tapped a finger against the black void where his lips should have been. "I can't think of anything appropriate that isn't mostly false... ah! You may call me Ursula, if you like." Glowing eyes narrowed, and Godfrey got the impression Ursula was smiling. "I am now what might once have been called a somniomancer."

"A wha-?"

"Never mind that, now. I've come to ask if you'd make a pact with me."

"A which?" Godfrey stared at the thing wearing his best friend's body, feeling the slow swell of rage at his temples. "What - why - how the- You crawl into my head and dress yourself in someone I love's image and you expect me to DO something for you?" Gritting his teeth, the dreamer rose to his feet, looming over Ursula. "Not only no but hell no, because I am not putting up with this BULLSHIT more than once in an ARCEUSdamn lifetime. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to wake up now. Kindly get the FUCK out of my head and go get fucked by a Hypno, you bint."

He turned, and tried to storm off.

Tried. His body wouldn't obey him, and the world was melting...

"This is not the last time we'll meet, darling." Ursula's voice undulated lazily through the mud that was sucking him in, filling his ears like warm honey. "You'll come 'round to my way of thinking eventually."  
  
He woke screaming.

It was four in the morning when Godfrey finally gave getting any more sleep up as a lost cause, and rose. He took a scalding hot shower, trying to scrub the strange sensation of _filth_ from himself, dried, dressed, and silently left the Pokémon Center, choosing a street at random and letting his feet take him where they would.

It was strangely fitting that they took him to the Gym, he thought - and stranger still that there was a light on (still on?) at this time of the... night? Morning?

Shaking his head, Godfrey tried one of the double doors - and found it unlocked. Unable to resist, he pushed the door open, slipped inside, and gently shut it behind him, then crept towards the light.

As he got nearer, he could see that it came from a room with a half-open door, one that he hadn't seen the first time he'd entered the building. There was nothing else - just the light, and the door trying to stem it.

He stopped. Was that a groan?

Unsure, he softened his steps, gently, quietly approaching the door and peering in.

The room was a simple one - four creamy-white walls, a bed, a nightstand with a lamp (the source of the light) and a chair. The bed was occupied by a humanoid figure, the chair by Roark himself.

"Sir?" He wasn't quite sure why he'd spoken, but when the gym leader started and turned, new surprise blending with slightly less new misery in his expression, Godfrey didn't think twice. "What happened? Is there something I can do?" He nudged the door properly open, slipped through, joined Roark at the bedside.

"It's... this is Richard." The gym leader's voice was soft, rough around the edges. "He's a Machop - works..." He stopped, swallowed hard. "Worked, in the mines. There... it was a cave in, a bad one. He's alive, but..." The older man leaned over, twitched the blankets back, exposing a left arm that terminated abruptly just above the elbow. "He was crushed badly, he was dying... it was his arm, or the rest of him." Roark tucked the blanket tenderly back over the Machop, and settled back in his chair, every inch of his frame betraying bone-deep exhaustion. "I... don't know what to tell him. The mines... he can't work there anymore, but what...?"

Godfrey took a deep breath. "...sir, does he - do you think he could battle?" He waved his hands appealingly as Roark raised his head to glare at him. "Not... not now, not even soon, but eventually? Because... because then I could take him, sir, he'd have something to do and he wouldn't have to dwell on the - on this."

"Why?" Roark frowned, rocking back in his chair and staring the youth down. The trainer took a deep breath, held it a moment, released it, then dug in his back pocket and retrieved his wallet, took out his league-issued ID, and offered it to the gym leader.

"Have a look, sir."

Roark took the card, examined it closely - and a flash of surprise shot across his face, before his expression settled into gentle sympathy. He nodded, then held the card back out to its owner.

"I'll broach the topic to him when he wakes. If I know him, and I think I do, he'll accept." The gym leader rose from his chair. "For now, though, I think it's best you go back to the Pokémon Center, and wait there."

Godfrey nodded, turned to leave -

"Wait." Roark said softly. "You're a brave young man, I hope you realize. I wish you all the best."

The younger man nodded without turning around, trying not to be brusque but not succeeding too well, feeling far too vulnerable to be truly polite. "Thank you." He murmured, somewhat hoarsely.

And he was gone, out the door and into the twilight of early morning.

Later that day, a small package for one Godfrey Sinclair was delivered to the Pokémon Center.

Inside were a gym badge, a small wad of bills...

And a Poké Ball.

**New catch! Richard the Male Lonely Guts Machop, only one arm - can't evolve past Machoke, can't learn any "throw" moves, Rock Slide or Cross Chop.**

I** actually got Richard BEFORE the gym, but since I didn't use him at all - Phil is A BOSS - I figure this fits just as well. :keke: Also, I really like Ursula. And yes, you'll be seeing her again... soon. Ish. Maybe.**


End file.
